Nearby Praia do Matadouro 2 km · Praia da Foz do Lizandro 5 km · Praia Azul 14 km · Santa Cruz 17 km · Praia de Santa Rita 21 km · Guincho 29 km · Praia da Areia Branca 32 km · Praia de Carcavelos 35 km · Cova do Vapor 39 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
afternoon, on the regional pattern
The wind
locals call it Nortada
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: afternoon, on the regional pattern
Typical strength
10-25 knots is the working range on this stretch of coast, most of it northerly and northeasterly in the summer months. Regional figure: nothing has been measured at this beach, and the nearest published station has no statistics.
The quiver, in words
8-12 m for a 75-85 kg rider on a summer day here, down to 8 m once the nortada is over 20 knots. Regional numbers for Ericeira, not measured at Ribeira d'Ilhas.
Direction to shore
The beach faces roughly west-northwest, so east is straight offshore and the whole southeast-to-northeast band comes off the land. The summer nortada from north to northwest arrives side-shore to side-onshore; northeast is side-offshore and drops down the valley behind the beach in bursts. Derived from the orientation of the break, with no kite-specific measurement.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan68
- Feb62
- Mar, riders' month73
- Apr, riders' month78
- May, riders' month76
- Jun, riders' month76
- Jul, riders' month74
- Aug, riders' month80
- Sep, riders' month54
- Oct62
- Nov64
- Dec65
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 13Jan16°
- 13Feb15°
- 14Mar15°
- 14Apr16°
- 14May16°
- 14Jun18°
- 13Jul18°
- 14Aug17°
- 13Sep18°
- 13Oct19°
- 13Nov18°
- 13Dec17°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68% | 13.3 kt | E | 12.1°C | 15.6°C |
| Feb | 62% | 13.3 kt | ENE | 12.6°C | 15.2°C |
| Mar | 73% | 14.2 kt | W | 13.4°C | 15.1°C |
| Apr | 78% | 13.7 kt | N | 15°C | 16.2°C |
| May | 76% | 14.1 kt | N | 16.9°C | 16.4°C |
| Jun | 76% | 13.7 kt | N | 18.5°C | 18.2°C |
| Jul | 74% | 13.1 kt | N | 19.8°C | 18.1°C |
| Aug | 80% | 13.7 kt | N | 20°C | 17.2°C |
| Sep | 54% | 12.6 kt | N | 19.3°C | 17.6°C |
| Oct | 62% | 13.4 kt | N | 18.5°C | 19.2°C |
| Nov | 64% | 12.7 kt | ESE | 15.7°C | 18.1°C |
| Dec | 65% | 13.1 kt | E | 13.1°C | 16.5°C |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
ocean
Standing depth
No depth has been measured. The sand pocket is narrow and the bottom outside it is rock and reef that carries enough water to surf at every stage of the tide, so do not plan on standing once you are past the shorebreak.
Tides
The wave works at all stages. For kiting the water is flatter from mid to low tide, and the current along these beaches runs hardest near high water. That tide-and-current pattern is regional for Ericeira rather than measured at this beach.
Temperature
20-22°C summer · 14-16°C winter
Wetsuit
3/2 mm in summer if wind is up; 4/3 or 5/4 mm in winter.
Currents
Tricky current on the wave, reportedly, and the exposed beaches around Ericeira run strong current near high tide.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch: small
Somewhere else
Praia do Matadouro, 2 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
A sandy pocket of about 120 m with rocks at each end.
Space
small
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Talk to someone who rides it before you rig; the sand is tiny and the rocks sit at both ends.
- Stay off the surf peaks. It is a pointbreak, so the whole wave belongs to the lineup.
- Bring a full suit even in August: 3/2 mm in summer, 4/3 or 5/4 mm in winter.
- Take the regional Nortada numbers as background, not a promise for this launch.
- East and northeast blow off the land and down the valley behind the beach: gusty, side-offshore, and nothing between you and the Atlantic.
- Mid to low tide is the flatter water; near high water the current is at its strongest along this coast.
Getting there
Airport
Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)
Route
Access by car from Lisbon on the A8, exiting to Mafra on the N116, then following signs to Ericeira and north toward Ribamar.
Transfer
45 min
Staying
Ericeira has hostels, surf camps, Airbnb-style rentals and boutique hotels; restaurant/bar services are available at Ribeira de Ilhas.
No-wind days
Surf Ribeira d'Ilhas, walk the cliffs from the beach, Ericeira old town and its seafood, Sintra for a day, Lisbon if the whole week is flat.
Photos
FAQ
Is this spot suitable for beginners?
No, it is rated for expert riders only because of the rocks on both sides and the limited roughly 120 m launch space.
When is the best time to kite?
The kitesurf season is listed as March to September, with the regional summer Nortada as the main wind pattern.
What hazards are there?
Rocks, a rock-and-reef bottom, tricky currents, a crowded surf lineup and gusty wind near the cliffs and valleys are all reported.
How consistent is the wind?
No spot-specific kite wind data is published; regional Ericeira guidance says summer northerly wind is rideable but can be gusty near cliffs.
Last updated: August 2026